The Democrats' Jolt to the Political Landscape

Published: November 9, 2006

So President Bush is not ''the decider.'' We, the American people, are -- as it was meant to be.

Emily Rome
New York, Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

I watched, disheartened, as our country grew sicker and sicker. On Tuesday, it proved that its legendary self-healing abilities were still in good working order.

Anne Bernays
Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

Now that our electorate has finally woken from its stupor, we should ask ourselves why it took six years to recognize the incompetence and demagogy of this administration and the responsibility of the Republican leadership that blindly followed its lead.

The damage done is enormous, in Iraq, in the United States and around the world. Years have been squandered while the critical issues of our time have gone unattended.

How and why were we fooled?

We have a fascination with personalities instead of policy, a desire to be entertained rather than enlightened, and a need to have an enemy to define us and give our lives meaning.

Thankfully, our democracy is still functioning, though we will not see really meaningful progress until we can disconnect the electoral and legislative processes from the flow of corporate cash.

Let's not forget that the Senate voted to give President Bush authority to start a war in Iraq. Our euphoria should be short-lived, and our vigilance should be redoubled.

Ken Swensen
Pound Ridge, N.Y., Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

Re ''A Loud Message for Bush'' (news analysis, front page, Nov. 8):

It's almost too good to believe the American people have done the ''almost'' impossible using the greatest democratic process known to man, the vote!

A president so convinced of his power and his mandate has been handed a message: ''You wasted your power and your mandate to act without consensus. The people have shouted, Enough! No more abuses of the Constitution and our freedoms; no more disregard for the values our forefathers fought hard to establish; no more 'I am, therefore I can!' ''

Thank you, my fellow Americans, for taking back our great country and for putting us back on the path to leadership and greatness in America and the world!

Doris Fenig
Floral Park, Queens, Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

Re ''A Loud Message for Bush'':

To President Bush et al.:

Here's why we Democrats won: For six years, even though the Republicans barely won their elections (if they won at all: see the 2000 election), they have disregarded us, scorned us and demonized us.

The debacle in Iraq is not the problem; it's a symptom of profound arrogance. Here's the ''loud message'': We don't like being ignored.

Stephanie Nicholas Acquadro
Westfield, N.J., Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

The shift in power in Washington is the result of a desire by midterm voters to cut the engines of President Bush's wayward ship of state.

That most of us regard the present course as being disastrous is shown by the fact that we made this change with no clear, unified ideas as to how to plot a better path.

We can only hope that the White House will get the message, accept this verdict and unbend somewhat from its rigid ideology.

While there is certainly a need for an accounting by the Bush administration on many matters, the investigative powers that the Democrats have gained are not means for revenge.

Any true wrongdoing must be brought to justice, of course, but our most immediate goal should be to stanch the bleeding in Iraq.

As is so often the case, the way out of this mess seems to lie somewhere in the middle ground. We must all be prepared for sacrifice, to seek compromise where we can find it and tolerance where we can't.

Like it or not, we are all Americans, all with a common fate. And we're in trouble.

Reese Lloyd
Atlanta, Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

As a Republican, I suppose I could go on and on with excuses for Tuesday's debacle, but nothing would change what has happened, so let's look at the bright side. It should be clear to all that much of the recent spike in violence in Iraq was an effort to affect our election.

With this out of the way now, perhaps there will be less of this bloodshed and the Iraqi government can get a handle on the pacification of the country and give us a legitimate reason to leave.

Also, with the election out of the way, the Democrats will have less need to carp at the administration; at the very least, they should start coming up with some solutions of their own.

I am hopeful that as much as the Democrats enjoy railing against the wealthy, productive element of our society, they will not kill the tax cuts that have led our economy out of recession and given us the best economic numbers seen in a long time.

Geoffrey W. Bramhall
Bronxville, N.Y., Nov. 8, 2006

To the Editor:

While voters may have identified Iraq, the economy or scandals as the issues that were important to them, I am convinced that it is the incompetence of this administration that was the foundation for the Democratic victory.

Its incompetence in every sphere belied its claim that there were pros now running the country.